Struggling Japanese electronics maker Sony has conceded defeat in the digital music market, announcing on Wednesday that it will close its cross-platform Music Unlimited service at the end of March and refer customers to another iTunes & Beats Music competitor, Spotify.

Apple has purchased British media analytics startup Semetric in what appears to be the next step in a planned push for Beats Music, the streaming music platform Apple acquired last year as part of its Beats deal.

A reported Bose job listing for a "cloud music services" UX designer suggests the company is working on a next-generation streaming platform to rival Beats Music, iTunes Radio and other services in what is becoming an increasingly crowded field.

Apple on Thursday activated a number of curated iTunes Radio stations playing nothing but Christmas tunes for the holidays, including tailored genre-specific track lists ranging from children's sing-alongs to Latin.

Apple has reportedly pitched music labels a new lower pricing structure for its Beats Music service, arguing that subscriptions could grow considerably if the price could be lowered to just $5 per month.

Apple on Monday denied rumors that it is planning to shut down the Beats Music subscription service, but a new report claims the company is looking into a branding change to more closely align the property with other first-party offerings.

The U.S. Justice Department is in the process of deciding whether to revise the laws regarding music royalty rates -- changes that could have an effect on Apple's streaming music offerings Beats Music and iTunes Radio.

Apple may bolster its streaming media services with the addition of technology and talent from Swell, a personalized news radio application currently available for iPhone, which it is said to have bought for $30 million.

In an announcement during the "Un-Carrier 5.0" press conference on Wednesday, T-Mobile skipped the wait and went straight to "Un-Carrier 6.0," a program that lets customers stream music from top Internet radio services without having the data used count against their allotted monthly plans.

Amid the furor of Apple's $3 billion purchase of Beats, pundits asked why the Cupertino company would sink so much capital into what amounts to a brand name. A report on Thursday now claims a shortsighted and credulous iTunes management team put out an inferior product in iTunes Radio, which in turn forced the acquisition.

Apple's mobile advertising efforts are expected to increase this year, when the company is reportedly planning to have locally targeted ads air on iTunes Radio, and will also begin promoting iTunes content through its own iAd network.

While Beats may be best known for its headphones, Apple made it clear in announcing its $3 billion acquisition of the company on Wednesday that its real interest lies in the subscription Beats Music streaming service, which will complement Apple's existing iTunes offerings.

Continuing with ongoing reports and speculation surrounding Apple's rumored buy of Beats Electronics, a report on Friday claims the music company's cofounders, Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, would likely net senior positions in Cupertino if a deal does indeed happen.

Proponents of Apple's rumored interest in Beats Electronics have cited the company's recognizable brand, its dominance of the premium headphone market, and its unique new Beats Music service as positive potential additions for the iPhone maker.

Beats Music, the streaming radio arm of the Beats empire, updated its iPhone app on Friday with the notable addition of in-app subscriptions, meaning the company is now paying Apple's usual 30 percent commission on new sign-ups.